Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, speaks during his official visit with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei in Minsk, on March 13, 2015. Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
*Editors: This photo may only be republished with RNS-VATICAN-LEAKS, originally transmitted on Dec. 7, 2015.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) A Vatican court on Monday named Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin as a witness in a controversial trial in which two journalists and others stand accused of leaking secrets about Vatican finances.

“widespread criticism of the Vatican’s apparent rejection of press freedom.” It was Pope Francis who, as absolute dictator, enacted the law criminalizing leaks in July 2013. On the flight from Africa to Rome he stated about this trial: “I gave the judges the concrete charges.” He also restated what he had said in Uganda, “there is corruption [in the Vatican].” Every man in a position of authority has now been either appointed or approved by himself. If the possibility exists that anything damaging to himself will be revealed, the defendants will be pardoned and the proceedings shut down.